Today, we plan to spend the day in the city. In the appartment we found some flyers for free guided walking tours with different themes so we decide to do the tour through the Jewish quarter. Also definitely on the planning is the Schindler museum.
The day starts nice with a few clouds, although later in the day the weather forecast is not so dry….
After breakfast we walk into town. The appartment we rented is beautifully located just outside the center but it only takes you about a 10-minute walk along the Wisla river to get to the center.
![Rowing training on the Wisla river Rowing training on the Wisla river](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-6rgfLCS/1/L/i-6rgfLCS-L.jpg)
![Building near Wawel castle Building near Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-9HmscbS/1/L/i-9HmscbS-L.jpg)
First stop is Wawel castle, which was an important hub throughout history.
![Entering Wawel castle Entering Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-J8f7FSC/1/L/i-J8f7FSC-L.jpg)
The castle is huge, located on a hill overlooking a bend in the Wisla river on one side and the city on the other.
![Park inside Wawel castle Park inside Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-29ZLZ4d/1/L/i-29ZLZ4d-L.jpg)
When we walk around the castle, enjoying the views of the city, clouds are getting darker and we get our first thunderstorm of the day.
![Thunderstorm moving in on Krakow Thunderstorm moving in on Krakow](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-qDrMBvD/1/L/i-qDrMBvD-L.jpg)
![Wawel hill Wawel hill](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-T7Qg973/1/L/i-T7Qg973-L.jpg)
![Bar inside Wawel castle Bar inside Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-dpCBSPc/1/L/i-dpCBSPc-L.jpg)
Today is June 21, the longest day of the year and that is an important day for the Poles. A lot of festivities will be going on this afternoon and evening and everyone is in full prep for them.
![Medieval fair outside Wawel castle Medieval fair outside Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-wcJ5c4Q/1/L/i-wcJ5c4Q-L.jpg)
![Park inside Wawel castle with a view on the Cathedral Park inside Wawel castle with a view on the Cathedral](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-F8fkNCV/1/L/i-F8fkNCV-L.jpg)
![Wawel castle maquette Wawel castle maquette](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-JsKb4Jm/1/L/i-JsKb4Jm-L.jpg)
![Almost empty due to the rain Almost empty due to the rain](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-XPgXgq9/1/L/i-XPgXgq9-L.jpg)
![Towards the main part of the castle Towards the main part of the castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-jrc9zJf/1/L/i-jrc9zJf-L.jpg)
![Lonely photographer Lonely photographer](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-hGDq6LM/1/L/i-hGDq6LM-L.jpg)
![Mural paintings Mural paintings](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-WDTNsmB/1/L/i-WDTNsmB-L.jpg)
![Tourist swarming in again after the rain Tourist swarming in again after the rain](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-Gtvkfwz/1/L/i-Gtvkfwz-L.jpg)
![Rain shower Rain shower](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-ng2NQ6v/1/L/i-ng2NQ6v-L.jpg)
We head further into town.
![Nespresso is everywhere Nespresso is everywhere](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZgC2fht/1/L/i-ZgC2fht-L.jpg)
![Horse drawn carriage tours through Krakow Horse drawn carriage tours through Krakow](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-4cFXzgn/1/L/i-4cFXzgn-L.jpg)
![Someone get this pigeon off me Someone get this pigeon off me](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-tCvkFLn/1/L/i-tCvkFLn-L.jpg)
The main market square and cloth hall are quite an impressive sight.
![Krakow cloth hall Krakow cloth hall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-bMX3jBG/1/L/i-bMX3jBG-L.jpg)
![Cloth hall Cloth hall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-jJdXKZT/1/L/i-jJdXKZT-L.jpg)
![Cathedral dominating the main market square Cathedral dominating the main market square](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-JTKQbFV/1/L/i-JTKQbFV-L.jpg)
![Inside the cloth hall Inside the cloth hall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bp5C28V/1/L/i-Bp5C28V-L.jpg)
![Tourist shops inside the cloth hall Tourist shops inside the cloth hall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-bGRKgrh/1/L/i-bGRKgrh-L.jpg)
![Main market square Main market square](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-2QdRGM5/1/L/i-2QdRGM5-L.jpg)
![False advertising. She just sits there to attract tourists, the carriage is driven by an ugly Polish bloke. False advertising. She just sits there to attract tourists, the carriage is driven by an ugly Polish bloke.](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-sTWLBkg/1/L/i-sTWLBkg-L.jpg)
![Krakow cloth hall Krakow cloth hall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-CMbCFGW/1/L/i-CMbCFGW-L.jpg)
We shelter from the rain on the terrace of one of the restaurants at the square. Turns out that the people at the table next to us are a Belgiand father and son, citytripping in Krakow. They tell us that they visited Auschwitz the day before and what a humbling impression it left. They also visited the Schindler museum but the father didn’t think it was that interesting. We’ll see…
After lunch we walk further through town and buy ourselves a cheap umbrella. We will need it!
![Theatre Theatre](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-xsBWRHg/1/L/i-xsBWRHg-L.jpg)
![Brama Florianska gate into the old town Brama Florianska gate into the old town](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-w5CcV26/1/L/i-w5CcV26-L.jpg)
![Brama Florianska gate into the old town Brama Florianska gate into the old town](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-VZGcSk4/1/L/i-VZGcSk4-L.jpg)
![Colourful statue on the Brama Florianska gate Colourful statue on the Brama Florianska gate](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-nWn8xVz/1/L/i-nWn8xVz-L.jpg)
![Old city wall Old city wall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-tMRmpff/1/L/i-tMRmpff-L.jpg)
![Barbakan, just outside the old town wall Barbakan, just outside the old town wall](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-kBxfb5r/1/L/i-kBxfb5r-L.jpg)
The free walking tour we want to take starts at the cathedral and we are pretty early at the designated spot. We meet our guide Ania and the freshly bought umbrella is put to good use as it starts pouring with rain.
The tour is taking us through the Jewish quarter of Krakow, and Ania tells us all about the history of the place and what happened here during the war.
![Guided tour through the main Jewish quarters Guided tour through the main Jewish quarters](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-9B3dpPn/1/L/i-9B3dpPn-L.jpg)
![Another enthusiastic guide Another enthusiastic guide](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-cTJbgkK/1/L/i-cTJbgkK-L.jpg)
![Synagogue gate Synagogue gate](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-3P39bJZ/1/L/i-3P39bJZ-L.jpg)
![Memorial in Kazimierz Jewish quarter Memorial in Kazimierz Jewish quarter](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-kfjxVdM/1/L/i-kfjxVdM-L.jpg)
![Schindler Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-KvKbXj8/1/L/i-KvKbXj8-L.jpg)
![The lazy tour The lazy tour](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-JxRdNcT/1/L/i-JxRdNcT-L.jpg)
The final stop of the tour is square in the center of the ghetto from which thousands of Jews were deported. The empty chairs are a gruesome sight and we can only imagine the drama that took place here.
![Deportation square, now Plac Bohaterow Getta in Podgorze Jewish Ghetto Deportation square, now Plac Bohaterow Getta in Podgorze Jewish Ghetto](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-FsXLz2f/1/L/i-FsXLz2f-L.jpg)
![Guide explaining about Tadeusz Pankiewicz Guide explaining about Tadeusz Pankiewicz](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-fLcDzCK/1/L/i-fLcDzCK-L.jpg)
![Ghetto buildings dating back from the war Ghetto buildings dating back from the war](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-3Vzh9c5/1/L/i-3Vzh9c5-L.jpg)
The tour ends at the Schindler factory, now turned into a museum. By now the rain has stopped but we are soaked. Our guide offers us to give an additional tour through the museum for a small extra fee, so we gladly take it!
![End of the tour at Schindler End of the tour at Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-zF2dSNC/1/L/i-zF2dSNC-L.jpg)
![Inside Schindler Inside Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-7qk8LXB/1/L/i-7qk8LXB-L.jpg)
The museum is incredibly interesting, focussing mainly on the history on Krakow throughout the war, and not so much on the role Oskar Schindler has played. Every room and floor tells the story of the different measures taken against the people of Krakow, starting from the moment the Germans invade Poland in 1939 up to the end of the war in 1945 and afterwards.
![2nd part of the tour: inside Schindler 2nd part of the tour: inside Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-j3jnvBQ/1/L/i-j3jnvBQ-L.jpg)
![Krakow posters at the advent of the war Krakow posters at the advent of the war](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-Mmhv6TM/1/L/i-Mmhv6TM-L.jpg)
![Historical pictures from Krakow Historical pictures from Krakow](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-HmsbbZs/1/L/i-HmsbbZs-L.jpg)
![Call to donate money in support of the Polish army Call to donate money in support of the Polish army](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-8VmBD23/1/L/i-8VmBD23-L.jpg)
![Posters from during the Nazi occupation Posters from during the Nazi occupation](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-8CHnLkK/1/L/i-8CHnLkK-L.jpg)
![Nazi soldiers raising the Third Reich flag above Wawel castle Nazi soldiers raising the Third Reich flag above Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-G7cLhBr/1/L/i-G7cLhBr-L.jpg)
![Don Don](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-KhJZkBZ/1/L/i-KhJZkBZ-L.jpg)
![Swastikas were everywhere in the city during the occupation Swastikas were everywhere in the city during the occupation](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-WHQKWZ4/1/L/i-WHQKWZ4-L.jpg)
![Death lists Death lists](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-BcGX33M/1/L/i-BcGX33M-L.jpg)
![Jewish ghetto entrance Jewish ghetto entrance](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-PG9KsrR/1/L/i-PG9KsrR-L.jpg)
Oskar Schindler only gets a small part in the museum. Although his role in saving Jews has a quite a dubious side, the fact remains that because of his actions, selfish or not, the bulk of the surviving Jews in Poland were workers at his factory.
![Schindler Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-34h6Hmk/1/L/i-34h6Hmk-L.jpg)
![Pots from Schindler Pots from Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-hZN4vKC/1/L/i-hZN4vKC-L.jpg)
![Map of Europe inside Schindler Map of Europe inside Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-T3fVSQv/1/L/i-T3fVSQv-L.jpg)
![List of people and families saved by Oskar Schindler List of people and families saved by Oskar Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-5knBrPz/1/L/i-5knBrPz-L.jpg)
![Jewish tombstones were used to pave the street in Plaszow concentration camp, built on top of a Jewish cemetery Jewish tombstones were used to pave the street in Plaszow concentration camp, built on top of a Jewish cemetery](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-CfjNTFn/1/L/i-CfjNTFn-L.jpg)
![Fragments of descriptions about acts to help or fail to help Jewish people during the war Fragments of descriptions about acts to help or fail to help Jewish people during the war](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-QZMtJbK/1/L/i-QZMtJbK-L.jpg)
By 6PM we are back outside with our heads full of impressions that will need some processing. It was in any case a good preparation for the visit to Auschwitz we have planned on Monday.
![Schindler Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-G3HWhW6/1/L/i-G3HWhW6-L.jpg)
![I I](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-t38jtVP/1/L/i-t38jtVP-L.jpg)
![Auschwitz memorial tunnel near Schindler Auschwitz memorial tunnel near Schindler](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-SCZvLrs/1/L/i-SCZvLrs-L.jpg)
![Theatre building Theatre building](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-73RnQ7x/1/L/i-73RnQ7x-L.jpg)
![Mirror-fie Mirror-fie](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-LWrZkLk/1/L/i-LWrZkLk-L.jpg)
![Theatre building Theatre building](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-3M8sNKP/1/L/i-3M8sNKP-L.jpg)
![Love locks Love locks](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-nq3jXgZ/1/L/i-nq3jXgZ-L.jpg)
![Theatre building Theatre building](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-tkPF3wX/1/L/i-tkPF3wX-L.jpg)
The walk back to the appartment seems endless… we walk along the river and we notice that there are quite some preparations going on for tonight’s fireworks. Ania also told us that they will be quite impressive so we decide to come and check them out later on.
![Pedestrian bridge across the Wisla river Pedestrian bridge across the Wisla river](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-qvZ3kdC/1/L/i-qvZ3kdC-L.jpg)
![Side channel off the Wisla river Side channel off the Wisla river](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-L7tfnKw/1/L/i-L7tfnKw-L.jpg)
![Lots of fireworks Lots of fireworks](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-VTXmsM9/1/L/i-VTXmsM9-L.jpg)
We quickly buy some dinner at the local store and put up our feet for a bit. It has been quite a walk today. Arond 10.30PM we hear the first warning shots to announce the start of the fire works so we stroll down to the river and enjoy the fireworks from a distance;
![Midsummer fireworks at Wawel castle Midsummer fireworks at Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-PL8rVHm/1/L/i-PL8rVHm-L.jpg)
![Midsummer fireworks at Wawel castle Midsummer fireworks at Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-hpW9c2G/1/L/i-hpW9c2G-L.jpg)
![Wawel castle in the smoke after fireworks Wawel castle in the smoke after fireworks](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-t24mTCj/1/L/i-t24mTCj-L.jpg)
![Fireworks at Wawel castle Fireworks at Wawel castle](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-gMnGTBs/1/L/i-gMnGTBs-L.jpg)
![Wawel Castle at night Wawel Castle at night](http://destinationworld.smugmug.com/photos/i-hG4STCG/1/L/i-hG4STCG-L.jpg)